Beard Burn
by R. Grace
Summary: Short modern AU in which Matthew grows a beard and Mary gets burned. Slightly fluffy, slightly smutty. Inspired by pics of Dan sporting some very sexy facial hair.


**A/N: **Just a little bit of silliness. Google "Dan Stevens Hilde" and you should be able to find the pics that inspired this. Enjoy!

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Matthew shifted his weight anxiously from foot to foot as he watched the terminal exit for any sign of his girlfriend's arrival. Mary always flew first class, so she would be one of the first to exit. He could scarcely wait to see her, to hold her. Three weeks apart was far too long, in his opinion. He was extremely proud of Mary's accomplishments and was thrilled that she had been promoted to Senior Vice President of Downton Corp., but the new position required her to travel quite a bit, separating them for weeks at a time. Despite the obvious inconvenience of missing her terribly when she was away, Matthew appreciated the invigorating effect her frequent absences had on their intimate life. They'd been together for almost four years, but their passion for one another had only grown in strength. His designer skinny jeans, which he had allowed Mary to talk him into, became unbearably tight as he contemplated the blissful reunion that was only a brief car ride away.

He couldn't stop his bright smile when he saw her, impossibly beautiful despite the eight hour plane trip. Her answering smile faded into a look of confusion as she approached, pulling her outlandishly expensive designer carry-on behind her.

"Hello, gorgeous," he greeted her lovingly, opening his arms for a welcome-home hug. After a brief moment of holding her stiff body against his chest, Matthew pulled back, eager for a kiss. But, when he tried to lean close enough to capture her lips with his, Mary pulled back, staring at him as though he were a stranger to her.

"Matthew?"

"Yes, darling, it's me," he responded with an amused grin.

"What on earth is that growth covering your beautiful face?" she asked with a teasing smile, as she ran her fingers through his short beard.

"Do you think it makes me look older?" he asked.

"You're thirty years old, Matthew. Why on earth do you think you need to look older?"

"Well, I...got a bit tired of being mistaken for a university student, is all. I'm a full-fledged lawyer now. I thought I should look the part," he explained, a bit petulantly, in Mary's opinion.

"And you think giving up shaving will make you a more respectable lawyer?" Mary asked fondly, trying to keep her amusement at bay.

"I've not given up shaving altogether," Matthew responded. "I just...avoid certain bits."

Mary finally gave up and allowed herself a chuckle at her boyfriend's silliness. He really was terribly adorable, ridiculous beard or not.

"Now, are you going to give me my kiss, or am I going to have to take it by force?"

With another small laugh, Mary cupped his grinning face in her hands and slowly brought her lips to his. They kissed lightly for a moment before Mary laughed into his mouth, causing him to break the kiss.

"What?" he asked, annoyed by her non-compliance with his amorous wishes.

"It tickles."

"Oh, you!"

Catching her up in his arms, Matthew pulled her close and rained numerous kisses down upon her cheeks, jaw, and neck, making her giggle all the more at the novel sensation.

By the time they reached the car, the mood had shifted from playful to urgent and needy. Matthew pulled her over the center console and into his lap, holding her head to his as his tongue probed her welcoming mouth.

"God, Mary," he whispered between deep, sensuous kisses. "I missed you so much."

Mary's only response was a helpless moan as she brought his mouth back to hers. She found herself suddenly enjoying the sensation of his lightly scratchy beard brushing her chin and cheeks as they kissed. There was something very...masculine about it that appealed to her inner cavewoman.

Her breath caught in her throat as his lips left hers to trace down her jaw to her ear, his teeth teasing and nipping her lobe. She nearly cried out when his rough chin tickled the sensitive skin just under her ear. Her knickers grew damp with arousal, and she fisted her hands in his shirt, desperate for more.

His kisses traveled further down as his hands moved to cup her breasts through her cashmere cardigan, which he deftly unbuttoned until he exposed her silky camisole. Immersed in her delicious, feminine scent, Matthew nearly lost the last of his control. Mary didn't like to wear a bra while traveling, leaving her soft flesh restricted only by a thin, flimsy garment that was almost no barrier to his assault. Cupping her softness in both hands, he pushed her higher, exposing more silky skin over the top of her camisole. Her helpless whimpers as he began tasting and laving her sweetness nearly undid him.

_"Oi! Get a room!"_

Their heads jerked up at the unexpected interruption, and Mary scrambled back into the passenger seat.

"Perhaps we should go home now," Matthew observed through his laughter at Mary's embarrassed flush.

A couple of hours later, Mary lay exhausted among tussled bed sheets as she awaited her lover's return from the kitchen with their tea and late afternoon snack - to restore their strength after their recent exertions. Mary stretched, then groaned as she felt an unaccustomed burning sensation on the insides of her thighs. Pulling back the sheet, she looked down to find most of her pale body, especially more intimate areas, spotted with angry red patches. She bit her lip for a moment in consternation before allowing herself to smile as she recalled the extremely pleasurable way those red patches were acquired.

Over tea and slices of freshly baked cake (a gift from Isobel) Matthew once again asked for Mary's opinion of his new look.

"Well," she pretended to be deep in thought for a moment as she stroked his bristly chin with her fingers, "I supposed the beard can stay for a bit, if you wish. It did feel rather lovely against my skin when you kissed my neck and...other places."

In response to her provocative statement, Matthew pulled her close again and ran his lips and tongue up and down the column of her neck and down over her milky shoulders, awakening their passions once again.

"It doesn't make you look older though," Mary added teasingly just as Matthew's wandering lips were about to cover hers. "So sorry, darling."

With a dramatic sigh, Matthew plopped down on his back on the bed beside her, throwing his hands up as if accepting defeat.

Mary giggled and crawled over him, rubbing her body tantalizingly against his as she nibbled at his rough jaw.

"I love you," she whispered hotly in his ear. "And I love that sweet baby face of yours...even if you do occasionally get mistaken for a university student."

Matthew chuckled fondly as his hands, once again, took possession of her slender curves.

"I'm so happy you're home, baby," he whispered breathily in her ear.

"Me too, darling. Despite the beard burn."

"That's it!" Matthew growled playfully as he rolled her underneath him. "I know how to silence your mouth, woman!"

With that, he kissed her deeply and intimately as he gently pushed into her, successfully putting an end to Mary's protestations for the present.

When Matthew later realized the irritation his new look had caused Mary's delicate skin, he knew that it had to go. Just as he was finishing up shaving, Mary crept up behind him and pressed her bare breasts against his back, her wandering hands stirring him to passion once more. This time, he rained soothing, gentle kisses on each and every red mark he had left on her silky skin before making sweet, unhurried love to her until they eventually slipped into an exhausted slumber in each other's arms.

_Fin_

__Thanks for reading! If you have a moment, I'd love to know what you thought. :)


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